It's Never Easy
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Rescue mission? Really? Vala has to rescue Daniel from captivity? A romantic tale with a bit of adventure
1. Chapter 1

It's Never Easy

spacegypsy1

Rescue mission? Really? Vala has to rescue Daniel from captivity? A romantic tale with a bit of adventure.

~Chapter One – Vala Volunteers

~SGC

"I don't want to hear it!" Vala blurted out in a vain attempt to stop General Landry from saying something horrible.

Mitchell, using his deep drawl of supposed understanding, attempted to placate her. "We're just as confused and anxious as you, but..."

"NO!" She shouted, slapped the conference table and told them. "He can't not be here. It's his birthday in two days. We're...I... well... I mean we have plans! You don't understand what's going on! He can't be missing!"

"Just because we've lost contact with Dr. Jackson does not mean he's..."

Head dropping to the conference table in what she had long ago learned the Tau'ri call 'head desk', Vala interrupted General Landry, "Oh my gods!" She moaned and then her head shot up, hair flying, looking wild, eyes firing a look of disturbing dangerousness. "This is just not happening. He promised he'd be back early. It's a peaceful planet now he said! Just a short easy diplomatic trip to help the holy ones work with the not so holy ones he said! It's for the village elders he said! Meet, greet, talk to the holy women, make a plan to shoo out the not so holy people he said! " Out of her chair she came, angry, hurt and confused. The force of movement sent the vacated chair sailing back into the wall. Her voice trembled. "SG-1, SG-2, SG-3 and SG-4... we have to storm that obviously not so holy place and get him out of there! Now!"

"Ms. Mal Doran!" Landry also stood suddenly. "As we all know this is a very delicate situation – the planet is in turmoil and we are not going to go in guns blazing against one faction and 'rescue' Dr. Jackson when they have made no demands or even acknowledged that they are holding him captive."

Eyes growing large with a look of regret Vala mumbled. "Really, why don't you get it! Daniel is M. I. some other letter with a meaning for something or the other."

"Vala, sit down." Mitchell ordered, his hand coming to gently touch her arm. "General Landry has something important to discuss with you."

"Me?" Intrigued she grabbed her chair and pulled it close plopping down into it and batted her lashes at the general as if it would suffice as an apology.

"You know P3Q-877?" Landry asked, those bushy brows of his looking stern.

"Well, of course." She answered, "Crocious, old merchant planet once a hide out for thieves, robbers and other ne'er do well sorts of humans and other humanoids, and some bipedal odds and ends – I hung out there long ago. Then the Lucian Alliance stepped in. It got so crazy not even the worst of the ne'er do wells would stop there, including me. And it had to be really bad if I wouldn't go there. You know, Muscles," She turned to the Jaffa, "like under new management, but worse. It's like it became a famous beehive of, of..."

"Scum and Villainy?" Teal'c offered.

"YES! Anyway, eventually Crocious was abandoned by the Alliance, got hammered, as Mitchell would say, by the Ori," She took a quick look at Mitchell and winked. "What people survived, or so it is rumored some survived, were left to scratch out an existence until lately, as you know, the scum and villainy has returned after it supposedly became a temple nation for some thousand or so refugee monks who are trying to bring back the merchant ways without the bad guys. Well not monks, actually monkettes, holy women or so Daniel thought. I don't know why you people don't listen to me! I told you I needed to go with Daniel. They fooled him for sure! And now he's missing, probably tortured or seduced by... by... a legion of evil nuns! Why? Why? Why did this have to happen now?"

Sam, who had remained quiet and thoughtful until that point narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why is now different?"

"Ah. Er. Ahm. Umm, well, because... because this week is his birthday and no one really wants to be tortured, kidnapped or abandoned on their birthday. That's why." Even though she was emphatic Sam still eyed her with suspicion.

Landry took a quick sideways look of exasperation towards Mitchell before taking a deep breath and addressing Vala. "Even though our intel reports Dr. Jackson is in no apparent immediate danger we are planning a covert mission to P3Q-877 where..."

Once again Vala shot out of her chair, this time with a look of utter excitement. "Me! Pick me! I'm the only one who can pull that off. I know the layout, the secret passage and the lingo if we get stuck escaping the planet... you know blending in and hiding out, and... with no undo respect... or... or something like that or whatever you say that means I don't mean to be interrupt but, however, I told you and Cameron that..."

With his bushy brow scowl Landry glared so she sat and in an effort to communicate her acceptance of his unspoken order Vala ran her fingers across her mouth in a 'zip it up' fashion.

"Yes, Vala." Mitchell said, "General Landry has a mission for you."

~0i0~

CROCIOUS – P3Q-877

Vala landed the cloaked ship she'd procured, not far from the Stargate and disembarked without incident. With practiced stealth the ex-thief proceeded towards the familiar lush forest shrouded in a thick mist. The dark earthen path far to the left of the Stargate thankfully wasn't completely hidden.

Taking a deep breath, she scanned the area then jogged off taking the barely visible path that appeared to have been unused for quite some time. Hopefully, she thought, that was a good sign.

Aware that the serenity of the forest gives a false sense of safety, Vala watched and listened for signs of others then picked up the pace.

The dirt path lead on for an hour, rising ever slightly, and ended at another path which was carved into the rock of the mountain. It took a steep ascent towards the largest temple of the fortress above.

Having long ago escaped through the narrow pass and the insanely narrow crevice Vala paused to check the few items she'd stashed on her body, knowing better than to bring a pack. It seemed like so long ago – those hours spent stuck in the ridiculously tight passage mere feet from the path to freedom, finally shucking the pack full of treasure, pulling it through and then having to abandon it when she'd had to run for her life.

Most likely it would be run for their lives this time. "Hopefully," Vala whispered aloud, "Daniel will be fit to run, because, according to General Landry, we are not going to be transported out of here." Once again checking her stash, Vala kept mumbling to the rocks as she trudged upward. "Diplomatically speaking, Dr. Jackson needed to be abducted by some, well, ne'er do well. That, of course, would be me. Vala Mal Doran, ner'er do well, space pirate, thief, con-artist extraordinaire, mercenary, contortionist, and no longer a member of SG-1 as rumor has it, I disobeyed some high up Tau'ri Earth person, stole, cheated, lied and got the boot. I don't understand the boot part. No one gave me a boot. And why would there be only one boot? How very disturbing."

~0i0~

Short of breath, labored due to the thinner air and the tortuous climb, as well as her propensity to chat aloud incessantly, Vala propped a hip against the rocks and stared at the small opening that lead right into the courtyard she remembered.

Removing both Zats stashed in the back of her waistband, she hooked one to the left side of her belt, then the other to the right. "No Tau'ri guns allowed per General Landry," She huffed out the words in irritation. No need to mention that clever little slim mini-blaster she procured... stole from the ex-Alliance acquaintance who helped her steal, damn, borrow the ship.

The slit in the stone could be no more than seven feet in length but she stopped within the first few feet, face turned to the terrace. The wall pressed into her cheek and she stalled having a little panic attack. She hated small spaces. Taking a deep breath, she moved on. After all it's Daniel who needs to be rescued. Daniel who asked her for one thing for his birthday. One thing. A date. A real honest to goodness date. A smile erupted on her lips remembering how he'd stumbled over the words. How she'd been stunned into silence for all of three seconds. And how too excited to contain her joy she'd launched herself at him and kissed him! Then, unexpectedly, he'd kissed her right back!

"I'm on my way, darling." Vala whispered and shuffled sideways across the claustrophobic passage lamenting, "Why is it never easy?"

~0i0~TBC


	2. Chapter 2

It's Never Easy

spacegypsy1

~Chapter Two – Daniel's diplomatic dilemma

~CROCIOUS – P3Q-877

Daniel had to admit they provided a very comfortable bed, in an equally comfortable suite, and just a minute ago he was staring at the beautifully painted ceiling. Unfortunately, however, Daniel found himself, once again, locked up without probable cause. It's just never easy.

Immediately on clearing the Stargate he'd been met by a group of women who'd rushed forward and began chattering away in what could be described as a combination of Latin and some sort of nonsensical Alteran – garbled to be almost unrecognizable. As though these women had not spoken aloud in quite some time.

He'd stood there astonished. Not particularly by the language, nope, more by the deadly looking weapons they'd carried and the appearance of more women equally armed spotted in the trees ahead. Undoubtedly not the villagers as expected.

~0i0~

Understanding any form of Ancient-Alteran and/or Latin should be easy. Should be. Especially for someone who is considered the expert in the field... one would think since they are closely related that it would be unproblematic. However, after days their gibberish version remained difficult to grasp. His brain was on overload though he was able to garner snippets of their chatter. Something about the High Priestess would be returning soon. Obviously their translation of soon was far from his.

For the most part, they understood each other, but at times it seemed as if they were constantly changing the language to confound him. They being the same small band of women from the Stargate that had whisked him away from the 'Gate, with bells on their ankles, bodies wrapped in sarongs of varied color and patterns and decorative veils across their lower faces. And large weapons in delicate looking hands.

A week later he dispensed with diplomacy and used pleading, yelling and demanding. Which they ignored. Not long after that Daniel ended up in a chamber leading to a courtyard and with a flight of stairs into a tower room. Days of wandering had given him a false sense of freedom, however there was no way out of this part of the temple.

Recently his captives took his radio, had already taken his weapons and left him on his own with the exception of the delivery of meals by random non-speaking women of a certain age, kindly in manner and smile but without a word.

The last contact with the SGC, mere hours before his radio was confiscated, recounted his good health but did note his being locked away in nicely appointed rooms with a view of and access to a small walled garden. That contact ended with a 'good luck Dr. Jackson'.

Knowing there had to be some way he got in here Daniel kept meticulously examining the area finding only a broom closet and garden. He'd further studied his surroundings and found that the garden is only accessible from this tower. Afternoon walks verified there was no other entrance or exit with the exception of the long crack that seems no bigger then a few inches wide and maybe five or six feet high and appears to be impassable.

Daniel sighed looking down at the garden. He knew it was a touchy situation coming here. There wasn't much intel, the villagers had been vague, though the concern on their faces and in their voices gave the impression that the situation was very real.

Supposedly they were caught in the middle of a serious struggle for power between these women and bands of mercenaries trying to take control. This, of course, came from a frantic message received from the villagers. Who apparently did not deem it necessary to show up for his arrival as requested. Unless the drove of 'warrior women' half hidden in the forest scared them off.

He knew there would be no snatching him via Asgard technology. Nope. That's rule number one on diplomatic missions – use diplomacy. Daniel knew his only hope was Vala. The Obi Wan of the SCG. At that funny thought his door opened and in walked the regal and apparently _THE_ High Priestess, swathed in glittery finery, wrapped to leave midriff and upper hip exposed. Her hair flowed to her waist and was as black as Vala's. There was no veil and, admittedly, she was stunningly beautiful.

He stood slowly and gave the woman his most practiced glare. Vala would have been proud.

"Gaanesh." The woman said pointing to herself with a little bow.

"Onna matta netario." He smirked delivering the correct inflection of ' _This is really unnecessary'_ with a condescending tone.

She nodded her understanding that he was not a happy captive.

"I'm Daniel." He attempted to dig up some gentlemanly manners.

Gaanesh smiled. "I have been away. I did not intend to keep you so long without explanation. But it is necessary for me to protect us."

Her verbiage was a tad bit confusing but he was able to discern her meaning. "What do you want?" By the tilt of her head he could see she understood.

"You are Daniel Jackson, the ascended one of Oma Desala?"

Stunned into silence Daniel felt unsure and guarded. Finally he admitted, "I was."

"You know the others, Ganos Lal? Orlin? Merlinus? Shifu?"

Annoyed and intrigued at the same time Daniel took a step back, eyes squinting. "I may know of them. They are..."

"Ascended?" She offered.

He sit down on the bed, shocked. "What the hell?" he murmured in English and eyed her speculatively. Then switched back to Ancient. "Yes, they are."

Approaching, Gaanesh seemed to float across the room, garments swishing and swaying. "Daniel Jackson, step father to Shifu and friend of the Alteran, we wish to know more of your times with ascension."

"That's it! I'm done. What the hell is going on here?" He stood so suddenly she almost tripped on her fancy cloth she had to step back so fast! Daniel's voice rose and the ancient language poured out of him like poetry. "Does everyone in the known universe think I can teach them how to ascend in ten easy lessons!?" His voice rose higher. "This is insane! I am NOT the University of Ascension! or Dr. Jackson's School of Transcending to a Higher Plane! What's wrong with you people!?

"Ya know," He continued less loudly but still in a pissy tone, "All I need now is a beard and mustache and I'll be ripe for some idiotic SciFi movie where I crash land on a planet run by Amazonian space chicks. Mitchell would love this!" Growling with discontent Daniel turned away from her and scratched his itchy chin suddenly realizing he did have a beard from days without shaving!

Again he sat in defeat and calmly asked why in ancient Egyptian. He wanted to test her knowledge. "Harm?" He said and immediately felt a rush of memory... Harm? A word that when uttered in perfect ancient Egyptian reminded him of Sha're. She'd used it constantly, every day of the life he lived with her, always wanting to know the why of everything.

Gaanesh looked puzzled. "You mean why do I want to know about your time as ascended?" She'd spoken Sha're's language perfectly.

Totally confounded Daniel uttered, "Huh?"

"We do not need your assistance to ascend. Quite the opposite." She began to move around the room.

Once again he shot up from his perch upon the bed. "Wait a minute! What do you need me for?"

"We want to live amongst the living."

First he uttered a string of curses in English before he quickly went back to her language. "Explain. I'm so confused now I'm at a loss for words. Any words regardless of which language they come in. You're going to have to explain."

Gaanesh became all white light and multi-armed.

"Son of a bitch! You're an ascended? All of you?" He sat and began to mumble as if to himself. "I feel like a jack in the box. I miss Vala, strange, I know. Really, what the hell am I doing here? I should have stayed home and taken her out on a date. Passion Fruit drinks, dancing, Karaoke, and the whole culminating event! This is crazy. Please tell me I'm hallucinating and Vala is here somewhere!"

"The... shall we say rumor... is that Vala Mal Doran has disobeyed and pulled some trickery and is on the run. That is not surprising since she has a reputation as a soldier of fortune."

Realizing she might have super hearing or possibly the ability to read minds Daniel kept his focus solidly fixed on his adventures as Merlin to block Gaanesh from knowing what he was really thinking... two or more can play this game. _This is not my first Ascended rodeo. Rescue mission in progress_.

Since his birthday had been a days ago Daniel decided that, most likely, Vala is so pissed at him that even if she does rescue him he may be in for a whole lot of annoying rhetoric and... he was looking forward to it. "Wait, what did you mean... soldier of fortune?"

Gaanesh appeared to be indifferent. "A soldier of fortune, ne'er do well, gun for hire."

"You do know Vala's had a tough life?" Her response to that was a little tic of emotion but mostly a stone cold judgmental visage. So on he went with the horror-history of Vala and Qetesh. He became graphic and then pitched in tales of Vala's Ori baby delivery service, her burning and when Gaanesh finally had a look of shock and awe he tossed in Sha're and Amaunet for his own benefit and ended in disappointment that Vala had left because, Daniel said out loud and totally committed, "I had planned to marry her." That last bit shocked him and once again he dropped down to the bed, this time in complete and utter incredulity. Putting his head in his hands he contemplated a life with Vala. And the undeniable fact that he, Daniel Jackson, was actually quite fond of Vala. When the hell did that happen?

He remained quiet and thoughtful for so long that Gaanesh sat cross-legged on the floor and whispered. "I am sorry. Perhaps our intel is wrong."

"Most likely not." he told her that to keep Vala's mission on target. He looked at Gaanesh as puppy faced sad as he could muster. "Let's discuss what you need to get me out of here. And give me some history so I can make an informed decision."

Her features softened so obviously the sad-sack facial antics worked. She smiled. "We wish you to guide us."

His eyes squinted with lack of understanding. "Guide? Guide you where?"

"We have many questions." The woman stood, looking down at him.

Still he wasn't getting her intention. "Let me go, I can..."

"It is not that simple." Gaanesh began to pace.

"I don't know what you want. I don't remember my time as ascended."

"We do, Daniel. We do."

"You do know, well of course you do. They will hunt you down if you interfere in my life, you know that, right?"

"We have labored long and hard to shut down the collective consciousness connection. I have been guarded in my return to the oneness."

"Ah, to be safe?"

"Yes."

"Why do you need me to understand anything? I'm still not sure what you want me to do. I will help as much as I can, Gaanesh, but you must know, I have my own life. I need to.…"

"We are desperate. We will learn and then you may return to the Tau'ri."

"Learn what?"

Gaanesh had wandered across the room. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and spoke softly. "How to become human again."

"Son of a bitch! You want to descend?" This time he slowly rose to face her when she fully turned.

"Yes, all of us." Gaanesh stated matter of factly.

"All. How many?"

"Well over a thousand. More."

 _Shit_ , he thought overwhelmed. "Why?" He asked unable to fathom.

"Why did you descend?" She asked.

"That's different!" He proclaimed not know if it really was different.

"In what way? Like you, you wanted to return to help your friends, to help others. We wish to help human's. Not to ignore their plight." The priestess watched him carefully.

All Daniel could do was sigh deeply. Wondering if in fact he could help these people. "Alright, how long?"

"An Earth year. Maybe two."

He laughed out loud. "I can't stay a year. I've finally come to a point where I can have a real relationship again. And that would be with Vala, which is weird, I know, but really who could blame me? She's spectacular. Nothing you can understand. Yet."

Gaanesh remained silent.

"What about the treaty with the other factions on this planet?"

"They are gone." Gaanesh stated with indifference.

"Where?" He demanded.

Gaanesh shrugged noncommittally. "We insist that you stay. It is important to us."

"Nobody lives here, right?" Crap. He realized he was sunk! A bit rattled, Daniel turned to look out the window just in time to see Vala slip through that incredibly thin opening. Immediately he began to mentally recite the Gettysburg Address in a mixture of German and French to keep Gaanesh from knowing. As he watched Vala cross the terrace he realized – somewhere between _Now we are engaged in a great civil war,_ and _We are met on a great battlefield of that war -_ that he wasn't just fond of Vala, he loved her beyond reason.

~TBC


	3. Chapter 3

It's Never Easy

spacegypsy1

~Chapter Three – Vala's Venture

~CROCIOUS – P3Q-877

 _Well, that wasn't so bad. Alright, possibly, yes, it was bad._ Vala thought as she brushed at the residue acquired while slithering along the cold, jagged stone passageway. A sound drew her attention and her head snapped around to see the door opening. Remembering the few indentations in the courtyard wall, she dashed behind an urn, found the niche and once again slid into a teeny tiny space.

A woman, dressed in swirly fabric and veil entered the courtyard with a broom. Vala's mind whirled with thoughts. _Hmm, how can I dispose of her body? I mean temporarily of course. Oh! I know. Right inside the door is that little room with a little door and I hope that the little key is still hanging on that little hook. My Daniel would call it a broom closet. But really, I think it's more of a little nook. A broom nook, rake and garden tool nook._

As the woman neared, Vala zatted her. The sweeping female turned and looked baffled, appeared to fade, and then finally dropped like a stone. After a moment of confusion at the woman's slow response to being zatted at close range the recently dismissed and now ex-SG1 member drug her prize into the nook, stripped her, then dressed herself in the woman's clothes and handy hiding veil. That took some time, the figuring out how to wrap the slinky material so that it didn't just fall off and more time to figure out how to hide the zat guns.

On examination of the space Vala discovered a small drawstring bag that would hold her clothes, the zats, knives but not much else was going to get crammed in there. Without hesitation she stashed the tiny stolen blaster into her cleavage. And off she went. Locking the little nook and taking the key with her Vala boldly walked the corridor towards the tower suite - which is most likely where _he_ will be. Hopefully. She tried not to think of the woman and her fading. Like a hologram. One cannot zat a hologram. Shaking her head violently Vala knew she had to get that out of her head and find her treasure.

When she passed the hidden door to the main temple, cautiously she opened it to be sure it was openable. On the other side three women looked up from their tasks. Nervously she nodded, they nodded back, and satisfied Vala shut the door thinking to herself, _This veil thingie works really well._

There were a set of stone carved winding stairs that twirled around and around. Thinking back Vala remembered she'd never seen the like before the first time she'd skulked around this very tower. However, oddly enough, she'd seen them since in some old movies about a guy in the Hood. Robert in the Hood or something like that.

Up and around she went knowing they ended at the door to the only suite were she truly hope hersweet was being held.

Half way up Vala heard a door open and a woman's scolding voice followed by the delight of hearing Daniel, his tone very snarky, saying something back. She couldn't make out the words. Strangely they might have been speaking Ancient, or one of Daniel's many other languages. Not sure. She turned and dashed down the stairs, hurriedly unlocked the nook and was barely inside when she heard that woman's voice again.

"Bren, are you not finished?"

Vala opened the door a crack and nodded searching her limited language bank for some of those Alteran, Ori, Adria words she'd learned. Unfortunately nothing seemed to be familiar except the realization that the woman had called her Bren.

Appearing a bit miffed, the woman turned away and scurried off and out the secret door.

Once again Vala climbed the twirly stairs. At the top she stopped to catch her breath then boldly opened the door.

Daniel turned and she almost wept with joy.

Grinning like a fool under that veil, which she quickly let drop to one side, Vala waggled her brows, struck an enticing pose by leaning against the door, one arm up, hand across her forehead, chest arched outward, breasts straining against the thin material, lips open and wetted with her slow traveling tongue. "Happy Birthday," She said in her most seductive tone.

He snatched her up against his hard frame and kissed her with such ardor she found herself momentarily stunned.

"We have no time for this... now, though I do love the outfit." Daniel whispered, yanked open the door, peered outside, and looked back at Vala. "Weapons?"

Still in awe and eyes locked on his handsome face her hand drifted unconsciously into the bag and onto a zat and she offered it up.

"That's it?" He seemed quite disappointed.

With a sigh and still adoring his apparently alive and well visage Vala reached into the sack again and handed over a knife.

His brows dove downward. "What else?" He didn't wait for an answer, just took possession of the bag and peered inside. "Damn." He said, grabbed her hand and off they went to trot down those dizzying steps as he muttered nonsense. "Doesn't really matter, I don't think conventional weapons are going to be any help." At the bottom he turned towards the Courtyard.

"No, we can't get out that way. We have to go through the temples." She'd leaned close to whisper. He smelled wonderful. Her head almost spun with the wonder of him as her mind whirled with incessant chatter. _I think I love him more than ever. This is all going to end in disaster. This us thing. Not the escaping. Though, on second thought, that could also happen. It's just never easy._

"We'll be fine." He whispered back as though he'd read her thoughts.

"Which will be fine?" Still in a daze of sexual arousal Vala breathed the words out.

"Which what?" Daniel asked in all sincerity.

"Which one will be fine?" A bit miffed, Vala tried to clarify.

"I don't remember getting choices. What are my choices?"

He was grinning and Vala was wary. Had they replaced him with a clone? A robot?

"Us or the escaping?" She finally answered thinking now was a good a time as any to find out what the hell was going on between them. She reached for the small mechanism that would open the door and since he still had one of her hands in his she tugged him behind as she opened the door and peeked down the corridor.

"Hmm, definitely the us, maybe the escaping. But probably not. Zats won't work on ascended beings. And knives certainly won't either."

"Did they drug you?" They were traversing the corridors cautiously, voices low. Taking steps down when they could find them. Her hand in his, pulling him along.

"Nooo, why would you think that?"

"Well, obviously not all are Ancients... I zatted one and though she took a long and fading time she did..."

"Fading? Meaning?" Daniel tugged her to a stop.

"Yes, sort of … Shhh.. wait. Someone's coming down the corridor." Vala looked around, frantic before shoving him into an arched doorway, repositioned the veil and pretended to be checking the wall for... er... something. The women passed in single file. Older women, with a tray and a cup and... her eyes lifted to Daniel's. They were taking him his supper. He nodded in understanding. "We've got to get out of here and fast. Alright, across there," Vala pointed, "up to the left and out the window. That is if we're low enough."

"Sort of what? What were you talking about?" He followed though a short hallway and into a chamber.

"Oh, sort of faded, and looked right at me bewildered then out and down she went." Vala peered out the window – it wasn't even a five foot drop to the ground.

"Interesting." Daniel agreed taking a quick look out the window. "I think they are all Ascended Alterans. That's why they lured me here. They want to... get this... they want to descend."

She should have been shocked, but Vala shook her head and sighed disparagingly. "I can't even begin to understand those crazy Alterans. But I know one thing. They are not getting their wavy armed glowy hands on you!"

"Alrighty then. Bombs away," Daniel whispered and out the window he went.

Without the addition of some reference she wasn't going to understand, Vala leapt out the window and found herself caught in his arms.

"Where'd you get a ship?" He asked setting her to her feet.

Vala raised a telling brow.

"Vala!" Daniel said with false shock, "You've been thieving again, eh?"

With a childish pout she singsonged. "What was it Wellan called you? A bone thief?"

"Touche'"

"Too who?"

"Move along." With a grin and a gentle playful shove he moved her forward. "So where's the ship?"

"Five maybe six clicks back in the woods behind the Stargate." She trotted off thinking he was right behind her.

"Son of a bitch! They'll be all over that area, why'd you park there?"

She turned and scowled her very best scowl which was lost behind the stupid piece of material. "Because I needed to be close to the Gate to find my way to find you to get your ungrateful, yet quite nice, ass out of here!"

He blew his cheeks out and then puffed the air out all the while his head danced to and fro. "Fair enough, sorry."

"Oh gods! They did drug you!"

By now they were almost running through the think brush of the woods, following the little river that she knew would take them back towards the Stargate.

"Not funny. I can be nice. As long as you're nice... it makes me wanna be nice too. We're just two peas in the wrong pod."

His comment brought her to sudden stop.

"I hate pods. I hate them because they make me closet-phobia!"

Daniel had stopped a step ahead and he looked back at her with that silly expression of his that means he totally enjoyed whatever she'd said because it was wrong.

Vala scratched at her nose and dropped one side of the irritating veil. "Well, whatever, darling, I don't think being nice in the pods is going to work. We are always going to be Daniel and Vala, always. You need to quit whining about it."

Coming back to her Daniel planted a short peck on her stunned lips, then a little buzz kiss to her temple. "You're wrong that it won't work and right that we're always going to be Daniel and Vala. Let's see if we can find that ship. At least we know our pursuers are zatable if we run into trouble."

"Daniel, did you just make up a word?"

"Yep."

"I like it. So, now we could use some help. Maybe the villagers..."

"Nope, no villagers are actually here... on this planet. None." He took her hand and they started off again trotting along at a steady pace.

"Ah, I see. Well, worry not, I'm quite sure I can rustle up some of the ne'er do wells..."

"Also none."

Shocked, she tugged him to a halt. "A complete ruse?"

"Exactly!"

"That, Daniel is extremely disturbing. Now what?"

He moved close, his voice low and raspy, "Maybe... I mean... I think... I think we should consider, er, not just dating, but more like being a couple, intimate couple, maybe, I mean..."

"NOW!" Birds flew and unidentified animals scurried because it came out very loud and laced in her best unbelievable tone, ever.

He bellowed right back. "Of course not now! Just something to think about while we're trying to escape and get back to the SGC. Which now may be harder than ever because we may have unwittingly alerted the mind boggling multitude of crazy renegade descending Ancients and who knows what kind of trouble they'll unleash on us!"

She couldn't think of a thing to say.

With a quirky roll of his eyes and a shrug he took her hand and together they followed the river.

Within minutes Vala stopped again. "Uh oh." She commented low and cautiously,

"What now?" He whispered back.

"There. The Stargate and a hundred or so of the mine boggling... mind boggle of... those, there, the fallen or disenchanted or escaping ancient ascended Alteran bad ass women. Why don't you call up your ascended contacts and have them sucked back into the Borg Collective?"

"The what?" He sounded a bit cranky.

"Never mind. Something Muscles made me watch which actually was very entertaining and could possibly be real. Anyway, we have to change plans. Now it's time for Plan double Z, followed by the discussing of intimate coupling." She grinned. Batted her lashes. Pulled the veil back across her lower face while standing in the middle of nowhere with eluding capture far from mind.

"What?" He muttered in response to her antics then turned and started off pulling her along. They were moving slowly. Creeping around. Him leading and her behind, which made no sense whatsoever since she had parked the cargo ship.

"You finally love me." She said, suddenly feeling light on my feet.

"No." Came his reply.

Vala took a shocked breath. "No?" Yanking her hand free she stood her ground.

First he turned just his head, waggled his brows and smiled, then he turned fully towards her. "No, not finally love you, Vala. Finally admitting I love you."

~TBC


	4. Chapter 4

It's Never Easy

spacegypsy1

~Chapter Four = Daniel's Declaration

~CROCIOUS – P3Q-877

~0i0~

As easily as the admission came you'd think he could be comfortable with it. Not so much. He couldn't stop his train of thought, _I bared my soul and I think I'm about to be devoured by my long anticipated relationship spider._

They'd started running, crashing through the under brush alongside the fast flowing stream. Once again, and unable to control his actions, Daniel stopped in the midst of the forest, tugged her to a halt and watched for her reaction. Waited for some sign of rebellion. Waited to be ridiculed. Ignored. Mocked.

Instead he got a soft, knowing smile that reached her eyes. A quick soft kiss on his cheek. And then she told him ever so genuinely and lovingly, "Daniel, darling, that is wonderful, and now that we are on the same... er... page, I suggest we wait until we are safe to discuss." She pointed and his gaze shifted to see that they were close enough to the Stargate to see it was surrounded by a horde of amazonian warriors. It was some horror/science fiction fiasco right before their very eyes.

"It's never easy." He mumbled. Then his thoughts took over _That being this thing between us and of course the legion of partially descended beings that stand between us and the future. Mine and Vala's. I think I'm still not so sure I'm ready. Too late, though. I could see something predatory in her eyes. I do believe Vala has been ready for quite some time._

"Don't go all Rainbow on me." she whispered.

Confused, Daniel looked down at her upturned face.

Obviously she could see that he wasn't ever going to figure that one out. With chin all but resting on his chest her nearly inaudible explanation came. "Rainbow? Man in the woods, jungles, various creepy places, who can single handedly kill all the other peo..."

"Ah, yes, Rambo, no not going there."

"Oh. That must be it. Rambo. I never got the Rainbow." She said coming up on tip toes, voice still very low, chin lifting to bring her mouth up. Near his ear.

He accepted that it's an odd feeling being aroused while mere feet from possible death/capture and various ascended nonsense. "In for a penny, in for a pound." He whispered and leaned in and kissed her. Ran his tongue across her mouth, nibbling at her lip, deepening the kiss with wonder and wanting.

Her response was one hundred percent involvement.

So there they stood in the thick brush, possibly detectable, maybe even about to be in the midst of a full on ascended Alteran and descending Alteran war, making out like teenagers.

It was with monumental effort he kept his hands from foraging for her soft breasts that pressed against his chest. From taking her here and now.

Vala fought a similar battle. Her moans filled his mouth. Her hands squeezing his biceps and pulling him in an attempt to get him closer, though there was no way they could possibly get any closer.

His erection was cradled against her supple warmth.

Daniel suddenly pulled away and Vala let out a faint cry of displeasure. "We need to move on." He told her in response to her scowl.

Her face relaxed."That's what I was going for."

"Very funny."

"I love you, Daniel."

"Thank you for that." He said softly, running a finger across her cheek.

"For loving you?"

"For saying it, I was worried."

"Mmm, I still can't breathe."

"Can you get us to that ship?"

"Oh! I forgot about that. Yes." She straightened her flowing clothing and set out, veering away from the Stargate.

Daniel somehow managed to follow, his gaze on Vala's taut derriere barely hidden beneath the silken cloth, and aching with the desire long suppressed.

~0i0~

Within minutes the yelling, the thunder of hundreds running and crashing through the brush, spurred the two forward.

Vala slowed for a brief moment, produced some very small weapon and fired at the horde that chased them. That little thing would disperse their pursuers at each amazingly loud burst.

Unable to pick up speed again Vala fought the material of her sarong style skirt that kept slipping, attempting to trip her. There was no way they could stop and to her utter amazement Daniel ripped most of the skirt free and tossed it into the woods. He ran faster. She kept up. That throng of semi-descended beings were gaining. Vala kept firing the little pistol until it fizzled out and then she grumbled curses and complaints loudly.

Throwing the empty weapon aside, Vala used her apparently new found wizard skills and conjured up the remote and their chariot appeared, the door slid open and they dove in. Vala twisted just as Daniel landed and found himself sprawled across her, right between her legs. She lunged half up and shot the door closed with the remote.

Though out of breath, they began to laugh as unknown projectiles their pursuers were pelting the ship with thumped against the metallic frame.

Pushing up, palms on the floor, Daniel inspected his prize. The filmy material of her bandeau type top was coming unwound and revealing a pleasant and enticing view of a nipple. His gaze dropped to her navel, and past to discover some seriously pale pink tiny and nearly invisible panties with a fraction of the skirt material clinging strategically between her legs.

"Not now, darling, but hold that thought." Vala breathed out as she scooted from under him and he collapsed frustrated, face first into the floor. The ship took off, he looked up and she turned around from the console grinning wide. With a little shrug Vala turned back to manipulate the controls. "It's never easy. Is it, darling?"

"Nope."

"Don't you think it's odd that they are trying to kill us?"

"Not really, I think they are trying to scare us into staying. Those weapons weren't the ones I saw earlier. Anywhoo... most likely our lives are going to get a lot less easy real soon." He attempted to sound sane and concerned all the while watching her behind from behind. "Are we rendezvousing?"

"Daniel, does that mean have sex?"

"No." He said jumping up and coming towards her. Vala had turned once again and propped her scantily clad six on the edge of the console. The front view was even more of a turn-on then the back. "But maybe." He paused. "I'm not sure. Right now it means is someone going to meet up with us or are we on our own. What's the plan?"

"Plan? Ha! All plans have been used up. No Plan A, B, or C. left. And I haven't even thought of planning to plan once I got you on the ship. General Landry yelled at me and accused me of things and told me to get off his base, that he didn't want me around any longer and I could go to Jupiter for all he cared. So, I'm not sure but I think the not so much of a real plan is to go to Jupiter and await further instructions. Or... quite possibly the plan is to be on our own, in which case I can hook us up with some people I know who will give us jobs."

Daniel placed a hand on the console each side of her, leaned forward and kissed her ear. "That means, if I understand correctly, that we have some alone time. Right?"

"Ri..." A curious beep interrupted her reply.

"Vala, is that you? We have a ping ..."

"Son of a bitch!" Daniel griped.

"Oh, that's right." With a hand to his chest she pushed him away. "I forgot that part. General Landry said something after the Jupiter part ... something about I couldn't count on Colonel Carter, or Colonel Mitchell, or Teal'c coming after me... no way would Colonel Carter be allowed to use her new scanning array on any ship I cared to slap it on." Vala turned back to the console. "Hello Sam. Yes, it's us."

"You can dock now, good to hear from you. Daniel, are you alright?"

"Ya know, you could have showed up earlier!"

And as a reply he got an ear full of snickers. "Daniel, we couldn't rescue you. That was not on our agenda. However, I can save Vala and her ship and you if you happen to be on it."

"So did you get the treaty?" Mitchell blurted out over the comm.

"Hell no. There won't be any treaty. Ever! Long story." And with that Daniel kissed Vala.

It was a slow exploring kiss. Both holding back, yet giving full commitment. The kind of kiss that seems as if it will never end. One that melds the souls, binding them together with promise of passion to come.

But before they could progress to the passion part that damned beep came again. "Well, are you docking or not?" Sam's voice scolded.

"Give us a minute!" Both Vala and Daniel called out with irritation... in harmony, then grinned at each other.

"I need to get dressed darling." Vala snatched up the bag she'd carried throughout their ordeal.

"Why? I kind of like the outfit you're wearing." _Did I say that?_ Daniel thought as she gave him a quick kiss and sashayed off towards the back of the ship, disappearing into the hold. For a long agonizing moment he thought about following her.

"Daniel? What's going on?" Sam again called over the comm.

"Vala's getting dressed!" He snapped out.

"What?!" Sam replied. "Why?" Mitchell asked. "Indeed." Teal'c added.

"What? Getting dressed as in real clothes. Why? Because she had on some belly dancing, skimpy two piece stolen outfit sarong-ish thing that lost most of its material as we ran for our lives! Ditto to 'Indeed'. We'll dock soon. Daniel over and out until we're on board!" He flipped the switch to fully turn off the comm.

"Who's bored?"

He grinned and turned. The grinned melted right off his face. She was wearing _the_ leather outfit. "Ah. Er. Ah... On board. As in on the ship. Not bored like not... well, not bored."

"You people have way too many words that are the same but different."

Vala was adjusting the leather, pulling at the bodice, moving the straps that criss-crossed her... "Oh my god." He whispered and she looked up concerned.

"What?"

With a shake of his head Daniel switched the comm back on. "Ah, we'll be a while. Vala... er... has to adjust... something."

Vala looked comically shocked. "Daniel Jackson! You are such a naughty..."

That's all she had time for before he took advantage of her surprise and muffled her words with a desperate kiss.

There is no denying that the damned leather outfit was nearly impossible to remove quickly. "Darling," Vala said, in a voice oozing with sex, that only Vala could produce, "Time to call this off until we have a bit more time."

Resting his forehead against hers Daniel sighed in frustration, "It's never easy, is it?"

Pulling back she placed a hand on his cheek. "I have a feeling it never will be."

"As soon as we can sneak out of the SGC we are going to my place and staying until they insist we come back."

"Promise?"

"Oh yeah, promise. And don't pack any clothes because you won't be needing them." Daniel kissed her quickly. "Let's go."

~0i0~

~ **Epilog** ~ It's Never Easy or Is It? Maybe it is.

~SGC

'"Vala, calm down, you know it's..."

"Don't say it, Daniel! Don't you ever, ever say that it's never easy ever again! Ugh!"

"Come on Vala, quite your yapping and push!" Mitchell encouraged.

"I am pushing you maniac!" With a grunt for the effort she pushed harder.

"Maybe you could just shut up and push?" Daniel asked in a false tone of helpfulness.

"Why don't you get down here on your hands and knees and push this? Huh? I didn't hear you volunteering to support this endeavor."

Sam grinned, gaze lifting to Mitchell who grinned back. Teal'c remained silent and focused.

"Mal Doran," Colonel Reynolds seethed, "You said you could do this and I bet a wad. Now push!"

"Yeah, Vala come on! You can do it!" Someone in the crowd yelled. Which was followed by a plethora of chants for each of the two competitors.

Daniel got down on his hands and knees beside her. "Vala, you don't have to..."

"Dang it, Mal Doran, it's been a full three months since you saved the archeologist, get to it and ignore him for once!" Reynolds had knelt on the opposite side of Vala. "Teal'c just lost control of his, he's herding it back, now you can catch up! Keep your eye on that egg. You only have a few feet. And you're lighter and faster. We've got big money riding on you! Tens of dollars are at stake!"

As she neared the finish line the crowd began to chant louder, "Vala. Vala. Vala. Vala."

When she pushed that egg across the finish line with Teal'c a mere few inches behind her Vala jumped up and Daniel caught her in his arms.

"I did it!" She cried out as she threw her arms around his neck.

The crowd cheered.

"That you did!" He responded as he pulled her tight into his embrace. "That you did, and... I love you." he said in a whisper and then he kissed her with open passion.

I took about thirty seconds for them to realize the room had gone completely silent. Another few seconds to end the kiss.

Vala tucked her head into Daniel's shoulder and he could feel her silent laughter as he looked from Sam to Mitchell, to Teal'c and finally to General Landry. "Oops, er, well you see, ahm, we, that is Vala and I..."

General Landry nodded in understanding and the crowd began to cheer again with added comments tossed in intermittently.

"About damned time!"

"Finally!"

"Took you long enough!"

Vala's head ever so slowly lifted just enough to bring her lips to Daniel's ear. "I love you, too. And we have an egg of our own to bring to the finish line." With that she leaned back to see his reaction.

Like watching a silent film Vala experienced the full range of 'Daniel' expressions. Including... The down diving brows of confusion. The pucker of lips on a mouth that, at that moment, could not release a sound much less articulate a simple or complex word or phrase. The up lifting of brows indicating possible understanding quickly followed by the puffed out sigh of 'nope couldn't be' and finally the cocking of his head to one side in final surrender. "Not... I mean... it's not... damn, Vala what are you saying?"

Again the crowd quieted. Leaned closer in an attempt to understand what was transpiring.

"Daniel!" Vala said with a sigh of disbelief as she took a step back. "Bun in the oven, pea in the pod, Love shack roof rusted, knocked up, incubating. I'm going to be a mommy and you are going to be a daddy and thank all stars and spirits I let you talk me into that secret elopement months..."

And the crowd once again burst into loud cheers!

~END -

Author's note: ** _I still love Daniel and Vala to tiny pieces. Long live the D/V ship!_**


End file.
